Athena
Athena Athena is quite an interesting god. Her birth is really what is most peculiar. She was born straight out of Zeus’s head and not only that but she was born with full armor on! Zeus lay with Metis, the goddess of thought and wisdom, but he immediately feared the consequences. It had been prophesied that Metis would bear children more powerful than the father even Zeus himself. In order to prevent these consequences, after lying with Metis, Zeus swallowed her down all of a sudden. But it was too late Metis had already become pregnant. Eventually Zeus experienced an enormous headache. Hermes then chopped Zeus's head with an axe. Athena leaped from Zeus's head, fully grown and armed, and then shouted her clarion cry of war a cry that she shouts every time she goes into battle. Even the might Uranus was startled by the sudden shout. Athena's Athens There was a new city and the city didn’t know what to name their city. The gods Athena and Poseidon received word of this new city. They each wanted the city to worship them. Athena and Poseidon competed to see who would be the patron god of the new city in Greece. Each god had something to offer to the city as a bribe for the city to name the new city after them. Athena offered the first olive tree. But Poseidon offered a water spring. Surprisingly the cities choose Athena to be their patron god. So they named there city Athens after Athena. The Trojan War 1 There are two variations of the Trojan War. All the gods and goddesses as well as various mortals were invited to the marriage of Peleus and Thetis She was annoyed at this, so she arrived with a golden apple inscribed with the word "for the fairest one" which she threw among the goddesses. Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena all claimed to be the fairest, and so that meant that they were the rightful owner of the apple. The goddesses chose to place the matter before Zeus, who, not wanting to favor one of the goddesses, put the choice into the hands of Paris, a Trojan prince. After bathing in the spring of Mount Ida the goddesses appeared. The goddesses undressed and presented themselves to Paris naked, either at his request or for the sake of winning. Still, Paris could not decide, as all three were ideally beautiful, so they resorted to bribes. Hera offered Paris control over all Asia and Europe, while Athena offered wisdom, fame, and glory in battle, and Aphrodite offered the most beautiful mortal woman in the world as a wife, and he accordingly chose her. This woman was Helen, who was, unfortunately for Paris, already married to King Menelaus of Sparta. So Paris chose Aphrodite and Aphrodite aided him in abducting Helen. The other two goddesses were enraged by this and through Helen's abduction by Paris they brought about the Trojan War. The Trojan War 2 Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera were always bickering about who was better. They were all jealous of each other. So one day Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera had a beauty contest. Their judge was none other than the prince of Troy, Paris. They all persuaded him that they should choose them. Athena promised Paris unlimited knowledge, Hera offered Paris power, but Paris agreed with the promise of Aphrodite. She promised marriage with the most beautiful woman in the world which was Helen. So Paris agreed that Aphrodite was the most fairest of them all. Aphrodite true to her word cast a spell on Helen that made her in love with Paris. Then Paris went to her kingdom and kidnapped her. Athena did not agree with this action for many reasons and not just because she was angered because she lost the contest. She thought that putting a spell on Helen was breaking the true love that Helen had with King Menelaus and Athena could already she that this would cause some trouble. She was right because the Trojan War broke out between Sparta and Troy in attempt to get Helen back to Sparta. Each god sided with either Sparta or Troy. Poseidon and Aphrodite sided with Troy and Zeus and Athena sided with Sparta. Athena’s clever thinking with the Trojan horse helped Sparta win the Trojan War.